Open Gates – My FCC Testimony

On Tuesday, December 15, 2009, I testified at an FCC workshop entitled “Speech, Democratic Engagement and the Open Internet.” Video of the hearing is embedded below and available on YouTube. The moderator introduces me at 58:27, and my roughly 6 minute remarks begin at 59:07. The Q&A that begins at 1:26:18 (My answers are at 1:28:00-1:29:29 and 1:41:20-1:43:31).

My message was that an open internet is necessary for the political participation of all people of all shapes, sizes, races and income in the future. My full opening statement with references is below.

One Love. One II.

Civil rights groups must support Net Neutrality

Civil rights are fundamentally about protecting fairness, equality, and freedom for all people. Net neutrality is about protecting fairness, equality and freedom for all online data. From a values perspective, these two concepts are functionally equivalent.

Values aren’t everything

Unfortunately, these shared values are not convincing enough for some civil rights organizations. The Broadband Opportunity Coalition (which, ironically, has no website) consists of the National Urban League, the Asian American Justice Center, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the National Council of La Raza, and other groups that argue for fairness and equality every day.

Well, every day they’re not talking about net neutrality. On their off days, they “question” the impact of net neutrality in letters to the FCC:

If the history of civil rights in America teaches us anything, it is that facially neutral laws and regulations are not always applied neutrally to the constituencies we represent. We certainly don’t want that to happen to Internet regulation too, and we’re very concerned that, despite your very best intentions, some aspects of net neutrality might not turn out to be neutral as applied to our constituencies.

They don’t come out and say it, but this is setting the table for their rejection of fair content distribution online.

Neutral networks lead to empowered communities

The truth is network neutrality is critical to ensuring equal access to the Internet, its content, and the empowerment that comes with that. Without network neutrality protection, ISPs and telecom companies will have free reign to discriminate against the distribution of content created by minority producers. This will make the Internet just like other mass media channels in which the authentic voices of people of color have been marginalized.

Fairness, equality, and freedom must be protected on and offline.

The pros and cons of worldwide net activism

I also posted this at the Northwest Progressive Institute Advocate. I serve as Senior Policy Analyst for Technology for the Institute.

As new tools of civic and civil protest evolve – as in Iran, where protesters are using social networks to keep the rest of the world apprised of the response to that country’s recently held elections – they present both new opportunities and new challenges for freedom of speech.

Protesting using Twitter

Twitter has been singled out as the key communication platform for protesters and those watching them since last week’s election. It has enabled people around the globe to read real time accounts of the happenings.

It has also enabled people around the globe to participate in the protest in ways some have never seen before.

Such armchair activism has included setting up proxy servers to help Iranian tweeters get around government blockades of the site.

Another example was the attempted DDOS attacks on Iranian web servers from abroad (DDoS stands for Denial of Service, a method of hacking that involves sending lots of web requests every second with the hopes of overloading a web server and rendering a website unusable/unavailable).

Principally, the inclusion of non-Iranians in these protest efforts is a good thing. To paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. However, these particular actions raise serious ethical and legal questions that must be thought through.

As interested activists and citizens, we must be prudent in our actions to ensure they help more than hurt.

For instance, are we comfortable with the idea of private citizens using private networks to engage in network “warfare”?

By doing so, do we make our civilian network infrastructure a valid target to an adversary? What risks are associated with a group of private citizens sending an unintended message to a potential adversary in the form of a coordinated network disruption?

Perhaps we are, but I don’t think that’s the case.

Earlier this year, Russia basically did this to Georgia, and caught a lot of flack for it. This sets a precedent that is dangerous, especially if we don’t understand its consequences.

Another question: if the attacks were actually successful, wouldn’t we be destroying the only portals we have into the very place we’re so interested in?

After all, foreign journalists have been banned from covering the demonstration, and many have been jailed and/or beaten. To choke off an authentic supply of information would be strategically foolish.

Technology is an increasingly powerful and important part of our society and our culture. As it expands to touch more parts of our lives, we must be ever-mindful of its drawbacks as well as its benefits.

One Love. One II.

The SuperSpade is Everywhere – on the Kindle, the iPhone, and everywhere else

The SuperSpade is everywhere.

Just a quick note today about ways Brandon and I are making The SuperSpade available to you in as many ways as possible:

• If you’re a Twitter user, make sure you follow Garlin (@garlin), Brandon (@bqw) and The SuperSpade (@superspade).
• If you own a Kindle, you can subscribe to The SuperSpade on your Kindle for $1.99/month. (My personal blog is there too).
• If you read from your cell phone, type http://www.thesuperspade.com into your phone’s web browser. It will work on any phone with Internet access. If you’re using an iPhone, you’ll see a special, optimized version of the site. It’ll look something like this.
• If you use an RSS reader like Google Reader, make sure you add our RSS feed to your list.
• And as always, you can put http://www.thesuperspade.com into any web browser and get to the main site.

Last but not least, we’ll soon be rolling out an email newsletter where subscribers will receive great insider benefits like:

• Tips on how you can be an effective activist and get involved at the local and national level
• Additional in-depth analysis on issues and events
• Connections to other online activists and bloggers working on issues impacting people of color
• A chance to have your voice heard on The SuperSpade
• Much more…

There will be another announcement when the email newsletter is up and running.

Stay tuned and stay connected.

One Love. One II.

Photo Credit: lennbob on Flickr

Interview: Why Early Voting is Both Important and Revolutionary

On Monday, I was interviewed as part of a small series on Politics and Technology by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine. We talked at length about early voting, why it’s such a big issue this election, what are the types of good & bad things that we can do with early voting data, and ways that people can find out early voting information with tools like Know How To Vote.

I’m looking forward to talking with Jeff again about Politics and Technology soon.

Enjoy.

One Love. One II.

The New NAACP: Upload 2 Uplift

Yesterday afternoon, I participated in a call with new NAACP President & CEO Ben Jealousheld a press conference with Black bloggers and members of the Black press to kick off his tenure and discuss his top 2 priorities: helping Hurricane Ike survivors and ensuring full participation in the upcoming election.

NAACP and Hurricane Ike

According to Jealous, the NAACP National Office sent 3 of its staff people to do two things:

1. Ensure fairness in the distribution of aid
2. Ensure the sins of Katrina are not repeated

They’ve got their work cut out for them, and Jealous actually told us something else disturbing about the lead-up to the storm:

Some poor communities complained to the NAACP that they were not adequately warned of the storm, its seriousness, or the voluntary/mandatory evacuations. This is because the warnings happened almost exclusively on TV, and these people had no TV.

People with questions in the state and out of state can call the NAACP Command Center, which is at their Texas State Conference, at (512) 322-9547.It is a travesty that the NAACP’s Command Center is set up before FEMA’s.

Making sure peoplve vote

While Jealous is working to make sure that folks in the wake of Ike get proper aid and electrical power, he and the NAACP are working hard to make sure that those folks’ electoral power is also fully restored and available. The rights of voters in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina was a major issue, and I actually marched in support of the re-enfranchisement of those voters. 

In what Jealous called “a sign of things to come,” he announced Upload 2 Uplift, a website that gives people the ability to do 2 things:

1. Register themselves to vote online, or print out registration forms that they can mail in
2. Register their friends and contacts to vote

#2 is very important, and it’s this “social voter registration” capability that really sets this tool apart from other online voter registration tools. Many  people know they have friends that are not registered to vote. If you know that person’s email address, you can give them a very simple way to register quickly online. Additionally, the system will send people reminders by email and/or text message to let them know when to vote and where to vote, if they want it too. Pretty cool.

A great start

This was a good meeting for Jealous, and he demonstrated a new way of thinking about the NAACP and about advocacy & civic engagement. By including Black bloggers in his first press conference, Ben Jealous showed that blogging and other forms of new and online media will be an important part of the NAACP’s strategy going forward. By creating its first real online tool, the NAACP shows that technology and the Internet will be important parts of their strategy going forward. I am looking forward to see what they do with this momentum.

One Love. One II.

Barack Obama on Technology and Net Neutrality

Barack Obama will be giving a talk at Googleplex in Mountain View, CA today, in which he will lay out a comprehensive, 5-point technology policy:

• Ensure the full and free exchange of information among Americans through an open Internet and diverse media outlets.
• Create a transparent and connected democracy.
• Encourage the deployment of a modern communications infrastructure.
• Employ technology and innovation to solve our nation’s most pressing problems, including reducing the costs of health care, encouraging the development of new clean energy sources, and improving public safety.
• Improve America’s competitiveness.

The full text of the handout to be used this evening is here.

The most important piece of this is the second point of creating a “transparent and connected democracy.” Making government data and information available in standard, accessible formats is a brain-dead simple solution to the problem of not knowing how to access government information. The appointment of a US CTO is a good strategy because it would mandate someone with technical knowledge and experience actually make technology decisions [instead of people like Ted Stevens].

My hope is that other candidates will lay out thoughtful, progressive approaches to technology policy so that we can use this as another differentiator.

One Love. One II.

Barack Obama: The Internet is about equality

Not the most informed statement on the issue, but it seems like an honest promise to preserve net neutrality.

He must have listened to my podcast on Net Neutrality.

One Love. One II.

P.S. 10 Questions is hot. Big ups to Afro-Netizen and BlackProf for participating.

Why Black folks need broadband

The Center for Creative Voices in Media’s The Case for Universal Broadband: Now! study was released today. It says that this country needs everyone to have equal access to reliable high-speed Internet connections. I agree, and I think this is especially true for Black people.

The Abortion of the Female Scientist

It sounds like we not only need to save our girls, but we also need to debunk the myths of girls’ interest in science, technology, math, and engineering, which are literally killing girls’ desires to pursue these fields.

Here’s the most interesting quote:

The mentality of needing to “weed out” weaker students in college majors — especially in the more quantitative disciplines — disproportionately weeds out women. This is not necessarily because women are failing. Rather, women often perceive “Bs” as inadequate grades and drop out, while men with “Cs” will persist with the class.

I agree that this weed-out mentality is complete BS and is actually anti-competitive because it eliminates diversity in total competition.

Also, am I the only one to read this and think, “Man, the perceived bar for success is much lower for boys than it is for girls.” Perhaps those C-student boys should have been weeded-out too…

One Love. One II.

Creating Better Information Flow in the Black Community: A Discussion

This past Friday, 25 May 2007, I participated in a panel discussion at the Annual Blacks In Government Conference in Seattle entitled, “Say What? Keeping Information and Ideas Moving in the Black community.” The panel was moderated by K. Wyking Garrett, CEO of Remix Marketing and Communications, and included myself and Monique Carillo, Founder of Carillo PR.

The discussion, which was well attended by enthusiastic participants, grew from a general exchange on definitions of knowledge and information to an all-out brainstorming session on ways to communicate better with one another.

Podcast on the Importance of a Public Internet

Last week I recorded my first podcast for the Northwest Progressive Institute, a Washington-based think tank for which I serve as Senior Policy Analyst for Technology.

The title is “Reframing Net Neutrality,” and it talks about why an accessible and public and non-discriminatory Internet is important to preserve. You can listen to the audio here.

One Love. One II.

The end of the MySpace soldier

I wrote a short piece at Northwest Progressive Institute’s blog about the Department of Defense is banning soldier access to MySpace, YouTube, and other sites.

Do you think that this is a big deal? Soldiers will still be able to access the sites from their own computers, but it seems odd to me that the blocked sites are ones that thrive off of user-generated content, which means that they are sites where the site’s participants control what gets onto the site. I guess this is similar to policies at some draconian companies like GM, but I see it as a big brother play to try to prevent soldiers from hearing dissenting viewpoints.

One Love. One II.

Presidential Debates are closer to really being Public

An update on the push to make debate videos truly available to everyone.

It looks like CNN heard this call, and is responding by making their Presidential Debate Footage available without restriction. I appreciate the effort and support of those of you that supported this action.

Senator Chris Dodd, Former Senator John Edwards, and Senator Barack Obama, all Presidential candidates, all supported this as well. This is a good sign that these individuals will take thoughtful approaches to technology policy, should one of them be elected.

One Love. One II.

Are you afraid of the Internet?

The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan recently published a survey called The National Poll on Children’s Health. While this report calls out the usual suspects of drugs and obesity, there was one concern that was surprisingly high: the Internet.

The Weekly Dream: The Land Of Make Believe

Question of the Week: How Can you use your imagination more?

As a child, I loved watching Mr. Rogers. My favorite part of the show is when he would go to the land of Make-Believe, with the hand puppets and all. It was a place where anything was possible. But it did not stop at Mr. Rogers; I spent much of my childhood in a fantasy world. Rather than watch television, I opted for books on fairy and folk tales from different cultures. I loved stories, to believe that anything was possible and nothing was too absurd.

But something strange happened. The older I got, the less I used my imagination. Until one day, I found myself exiled from the Land of Make Believe.

The Peter Pan Syndrome

The rise of the Information Age, Reality TV and All-Access technology has ruined our imagination. There is nothing that cannot be known about anything, at any moment of the day. Let’s face it, there is not much wonderment left in the modern world. What is even sadder is that no one seems to care.

I believe that this is because we have forgotten what an imagination is for. Furthermore, in this fast paced world there is no time for Make Believe. We have all been exiled to the Land of Grown-ups.

What is an imagination for? Well, to me it is to explore not only your creativity but also what is in your subconscious. For all of our knowledge, very little is known about the subconscious mind. But we do know this, it is always on, soaking up everything we are exposed to. Too often our subconscious is only active at night, in our dream state, but day dreaming and imagining can be a powerful way to approach problems if we bring it under the discipline of our conscious.

Free Your Mind

What happens is that your conscious mind is constantly laboring under constraints imposed upon it from the outside world. We are always jumping from what is possible to what is not possible and back again. As such, we tend to get boxed in. Using our imagination opens up a world of possibilities and offers fresh eyes to the situation. Spend more time imagining things, absurd things, silly things in order to shake the shackles from your mind. Give yourself a little mental release; because quite frankly, reality can get a little drab. Remember to dream big, if you remember to dream at all. However, as Rudyard Kipling said, “You must dream, but not make dreams your master.”

I don’t know about you, but I am and forever will be a dreamer. And who knows, maybe I can win my citizenship back to the land of Make-Believe.

Truth and Peace,
Steven M DeVougas

Categories:
The Weekly Dream

The SuperSpade Interview with Chuck D on “On The Real”

I let you all know that I was going to be a guest of Chuck D on his show, “On The Real,” on Air America Radio last night. My piece was short and sweet, but I am always thankful for the opportunity to share my vision with anyone about how I want to change the way that we think about technology and the way that we think about addressing the challenges that we face everyday.

For your listening pleasure, you can here me and Chuck here (3.33).

Big thanks go to Chuck D and Dave at Air America for securing this platform for The SuperSpade. We will definitely be working together again in the future.

One Love. One II.

Categories:
Speech
SuperSpade
Technology

The SuperSpade on Air America Radio

As I let you all know, I had an amazing time in Boston a couple of weeks ago.  While I was there, I met a lot of phenomenal people who are doing great things in media.  One such person was Chuck D, who you may know from his Public Enemy days a little while back.

Well, you can here me and Chuck on his radio show, “On the Real,” on XM Satellite Radio tonight around 1230 AM EST.  If you don’t have access to an XM Radio, you can click here to listen live online.  We will be talking about The SuperSpade and other ways that myself and others are affecting the offline world online.

Enjoy.

One Love. One II.

Categories
Speech
SuperSpade
Technology

Offline Problems, Online Solutions – NBPC Black Technology Now! Summit Wrap Up

As I alluded to before, I had an amazing experience at the National Black Programming Consortium’s (NBPC) Black Technology Now! Summit (BTN) in Boston, MA on November 8-9, 2006. I would like to thank NBPC and WGBH Boston for hosting this phenomenal event and giving me a platform upon which I could share my ideas.

As you may remember, I was invited to be a member of a panel called NEW FUNKY: Virtual Communities of Color & More. The subject of my presentation was Offline Problems, Online Solutions (audio in WMA format, PowerPoint slides). In this presentation, I presented my ideas for creating communities online to address real, tangible social issues. My main point was that it is not interesting to create anything online if it does not solve a problem in the offline world. I profiled The SuperSpade, and another venture that I am a part of called Detroit Intern. I also talked about future plans for these and other ventures I am dreaming about .

Here, I’ll include pointers to the audio [in WMA format] of my presentation, my slides, as well as my answers to some of the discussion questions that were interesting. Enjoy, and feel free to leave/give feedback.

Presentation
Offline Problems, Online Solutions Audio (9.39)
Offline Problems, Online Solutions PowerPoint Presentation

Q&A
Answer to a question about finding and developing audiences (1.51)
Answer to a question about engaging people who are hesitant to participate in online forums (1.49)
Answer to a question about blogging ethics (1.33)
Answer to another question about blogging ethics (1.33)

One Love. One II.

Categories:
Speech
Technology

Hybrid Schools

There is a heated debate going on here in Seattle about a private nonprofit group pushing to share space with a public high school, creating a “school within a school.” The Technology Access Foundation (TAF) is making this push to open an academy inside of Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School.

What do you think about private groups taking over space in public schools?

We talk quite a bit about education here, and I think that this is an interesting dispute. I am a proponent of public education. I am a bit weary of charter schools. I am also a big fan of technology. I believe that the more technology students have access to, the better. I believe that access to technology is a great way to improve one’s quality of life.

On this particular issue, I am a bit torn. I’ve done work with TAF since I’ve been in the Seattle area, and I like the things they do. However, I’m not really comfortable with them making this move because I feel like it’s a power-grab. I’d rather see TAF create their own technology-focused institution wholly separate from Rainier Beach. Everybody wins with this solution, and they are free to partner with any/all high schools in the district.

One Love. One II.

Categories
Education
Technology

The SuperSpade at the Black Technology Now! Summit next week

I will be in Boston next week as a featured panelist at the National Black Programming Consortium’s (NBPC) Black Technology Now! Summit (BTN) on November 8 & 9, 2006. This is a conference that is focusing on the future of public media and how people of color can take advantage of new ways to distribute their messages and content.

The panel that I am participating in is entitled NEW FUNKY: Virtual Communities of Color & More. The entire conference schedule is here.

What I will be focusing on in my presentation will be building online communities and how we can use the internet and other technologies to address broader social issues. I will talk about the existence of virtual solutions to real-life, tangible, brick-and-mortar problems. I will be using examples such as The SuperSpade, DetroitIntern.com, and other projects that I am working on to solve problems with technology.

Just like the last public speech that I gave, I will post the audio (and maybe video if it is available) of this talk on the site upon my return. Also like before, if you have any ideas about the topic, I’d love for you to share them.

Short bios of myself as well as other speakers & panelists are available here.

One Love. One II.

Categories
The SuperSpade
Travel
Speech
Boston
Technology
Digital Divide

2 Companies, 2 Stories, 1 Opportunity

Ford had a bad day, announcing their worst loss in 10+ years. GM had a good day, as their stock hit a 52-week high.

Ford’s losses are bad news for a bunch of obvious reasons. What’s the worst? I think it’s the fact that after all of these plants close/move and people take their buyouts, there will be a tremendous influx of similarly qualified individuals all competing for jobs in the Detroit area that is already strapped for jobs to begin with.

Conversely, GM’s seemingly promising performance may mean that it’s not quite time to turn the lights off domestic car companies. The problem is, these companies will not be able to cut their way to profitability, and right now it seems like that’s mostly what they are trying to do.

There is a tremendous opportunity for individuals that will be taking buyouts or victims of plant closures/movements to begin to create their own businesses to service the needs of their peers (e.g. health services, technology training, etc.).

Perhaps the governor or the mayor could provide special tax credits/incentives for these individuals?

One Love. One II.

Categories
Automotive
Ford
GM
Entrepreneurship
Taxes

The Weekly Dream: The Right to Privacy

Whatever you have spoken in the darkness shall be heard and listened to in the light, and what you have whispered in [people's] ears and behind closed doors will be proclaimed upon the housetops.
-Luke 12:3

This semester, I am taking a class called “The Law of Privacy.” It is an interesting class dealing with how far should the government and intrude into the lives and rights of individuals. I was surprised to learn that there are two types of privacy: Informational and decisional privacy. Informational deals with information about you released to the public (e.g. credit bureaus). Decisional privacy deals with those hot button issues like abortion, sexual orientation, etc. As one could imagine, technology plays a central role in privacy law. With the advent of the internet, Blogs, Profile sites, Smartphones, GPS, reality television and the like, it seems that you have to go to the moon to get some privacy.

In this Information Age, we are constantly bombarded with information. And it is a constant race to stay current. However, a large part of this is sifting through the ruff to get to the diamonds. When I turn on my computer, I come across numerous things I do not care about, mainly gossip. I do not care who is dating whom, who is cheating on whom, He said/She said. I have enough problems. However, the gossip and reality shows are a thriving industry. What is the preoccupation with sensationalism? Is it because the lives of these people are boring or are they trying to escape a dry, crusty reality? However, this will not help the situation. The result is that people know a lot of things that do not matter, instead of what they need to know. In addition to the voyeurism forced down our throats by the media, the government, under the auspices of National Security, has made it easy for any one to find out anything about you (read: wiretaps, credit reports, identity theft). Indeed, privacy is a scarce and undervalued commodity.

Why is Privacy Important?

Privacy, by definition, necessitates selective exclusion. In this exclusion, relationships are fostered and intimacy develops because there is a comfort and a safe place. Social theorists have claimed that there is a correlation between privacy and individuality. More privacy fosters more individuality and diversity. Less breeds a bland mainstream. Why? Because in the absence of privacy, there is the threat of disapproval, ostracism and rejection if you do not uphold “acceptable behaviors and values”.

In a family, when the sphere of privacy shrinks to the point where parents and children can no longer occupy the same space, then the children leave home-often to make decisions and mistakes without the criticism and stricture of the family. This can cause tension, but this is when parents should learn to “let go”, respect the privacy of their grown children and trust they will make good decisions.

The greatest thinkers and religious figures treasured being alone with their thoughts and their intimates. Henry David Thoreau wrote “Civil Disobedience” in seclusion. Jesus would often leave the multitudes and His disciples to pray and gain insight. Moses would went up the mountain and came back with the Ten Commandments. The Israelites, alone in the wilderness emerged as a cohesive nation. Privacy in the form of the retreat is at its essence spiritual. When you are alone, you can reflect and truly define yourself. In the presence of others, you can contrast what you are not.

To me, privacy means the absence of distraction. It is placing a restriction on how much outsiders have access to. When there are no distractions, then there is intense focus. In Kung-fu movies, the hero always goes into seclusion to train and then he faces his foe. Why? Because he must conquer himself before he can achieve his mission. Privacy is not an end unto itself, but it is to recharge so that we can come back and function at a higher level. Privacy is essential to the realization of potential.

These days, people willingly surrender their privacy. A constant debate I have is whether websites like the Facebook or MySpace is an invasion of privacy. I feel it is, but others say that it is a consensual invasion. And true, these sites are consensual, but perhaps these individuals do not know any better. Perhaps people do not examine the ramifications of providing an internet all-access pass. Especially since employers have begun to background check these sites to monitor potential hires and employees.

Privacy can be imposed on individuals. For example, we cannot appear in public nude. So where do we draw the line?

Is Anything Sacred?

In this age of “All-access”, nothing is sacred and it is hurting our relationships. Privacy is the highest respect one can be paid in society. It fosters the self and imagination. As Garlin, Dumi and Brandon have artfully expressed, technology is a tool and should be used to amplify good, not stupidity ( i.e. Vh1’s Flavor of Love). It is hard enough to find truth in the world, and the presence of noisome voices do not make it any easier. Let’s set boundaries as to how far we will let people, technology, and the government encroach upon our lives.

In the Bible, it says seek first the Kingdom of God. And the Kingdom of God is within each of us. However, how can we find the Kingdom on the inside with all the noise on the outside?

Make time to reflect, to build intimacy with the Creator and loved ones, with no distractions.

Respect the privacy of others.

Hold fast to the truth, and let go of the ruff.

Truth and Peace,
Steven M. DeVougas

Question of the Week: What are the ramifications of decreased privacy?

Technology’s Potential

Thank you Dumi for gracing our site with your presence. It’s always tight when the smartest person you know shows support. This started out as a comment, but grew to it’s own post for a couple of reasons: 1) it got kind of lengthy, and 2) I have been MIA for a while due to some other things going on and felt this would be a good topic to get back into the mix with. Big ups to Brandon & Steve for holding down The SuperSpade during my absence.

I think the Cyber Leashes piece is an interesting one for a number of reasons, but it mainly boils down to an issue of two main things: what are our motivations for doing anything that we do, and how/why do we use technology.

Anyone that has ever seen me knows I’m a nerd. I’m definitely the guy Dumi was talking about who cares a lot about gadgets and technology: about how they work, when they’re released, why one’s better than the other, all of that. Why do I care about these things? Maybe because I’m genuinely passionate about such things. Maybe because it makes me feel good and intelligent and current. Maybe because I’m good at it. Dumi’s post asks us what our motivations in having “information all the time at the fingertips” is. I believe that this is a question we need to ask ourselves about everything that we do and think about, including and beyond technology.

Let’s go further. What’s the difference between obsessing over a set of rims and a chocolate phone? Not a whole lot (well, perhaps I’d be perpetuating more negatives stereotypes with the former than the latter, but I digress). Neither will put you one step closer to “things that will improve your life” or “liberate our people.” So why do we think about these things? Because they make us feel good and we think they make us better. This consumer insecurity, the idea that we need to buy/have things to validate ourselves, pervades pretty much all parts of society and is especially damaging in poorer communities where being a consumer has similar absolute but much higher relative costs. The problem with having our vision tainted by this consumer insecurity is that it has damaged priorities that our people, that all people, used to have and hold dear: the idea of common identity, of shared vision, of collective action. What we lost was the notion that feeling good was a concept that went beyond the individual. What we lost was the notion that taking care of one another is important and should be a priority over selfish indulgence (Before I get jumped on, I’m well-aware of the “secure your own mask before assisting others” philosophy, however, I think most people use that to justify their own self-centeredness by omitting the “assisting others” part). Dumi’s questions should cause us not only to think about how we consume technology and if it serves a greater purpose, but also about how we consume any/everything else and if it serves a greater purpose. Let’s get back to the basics, back to what’s important. Let’s make what’s important to the individual beneficial to the collective, and vice versa.

I do not want to confuse people by any means into having them think that technology is neither useful nor important. In fact, the exact opposite is true. In my view, the issue is not the technology itself, but how we approach and use it. In general, technologically under-exposed individuals will see technology as a toy, a game, a form of entertainment. This is because it makes it less intimidating to think about it in terms of fun and only fun. The issue is that too many of our people never graduate out of that mindset and way of viewing technology to a more mature vantage point: one that sees technology as a tool, as an enabler, as a method of getting goals accomplished. This is what Dumi is calling for and what I wish to re-iterate here. The reason I started The SuperSpade with Brandon was to show our people how technology could be used for what I feel are more substantive things. I envision a day when people go online for more than celebrity gossip and sports scores. I envision a world where people do more online than watch videos of people lip-syncing pop music and make sorry-a$s MySpace pages. I envision a world where we use technology to reach each other to talk about how & where we can organize a meeting to work towards liberation. I envision a reality where we use the internet for what it was intended: a network to connect people and share information. This site will soon become a place where people can share ideas that will better society, where they can trade tips on how best to start mentorship programs in places across the world, where people can come give and receive social, political, and economic empowerment.

I want all of us to begin to see technology for what it can be and not what so many people think it is. In college, I often wondered how people communicated without email or cell phones. I wondered how peopled scheduled study sessions and “study” sessions without text messaging. After thinking about it, I determined that people simply found ways to do what they needed to do. Well, I submit to you that since it is now so much easier to communicate and easier to stay in touch, that we take that ease of use and use it for big things, not BS. Technology is aimed at simplifying things, not complicating them. At making things easier, not more difficult. How successful it is at making thing simple or easy is debatable, but I see it as something we can use it to achieve our big goals freedom & liberation, of unity & peace, and of a community with a shared vision. Do you see what I see?

One Love. One II.

Cyber Leashes

What’s up fam,

My friend Dumi was inspired by my friendship series to help us expand the discussion beyond Black men to talk about how friendship is undermined by what he describes as “Cyber Leashes.” I couldn’t agree with him more and as life becomes increasingly hectic and complex, we must always remember to get back to basics.

Dumi is the author of the critically acclaimed, Black at Michigan blog and I encourage you to check it out.

Enjoy.

Cyber Leashes

I know you’ve seen them. In fact you’re likely in close proximity to one or multiple of them at this very moment. Some call them smart phones, blackberries, treos, sidekicks, whatever you call it, it’s likely too damn big and still attached to your hip or ear (if it’s not on your ear you’re probably wearing your Spock ear piece). Now I admit, I’m an addict, I’m addicted to my phone, I’m addicted to my Bluetooth headset, I’m addicted to the ability to check email, but I’m really not sure why.

I know that you’ve probably read the numerous articles that cite Americans are over exposed to work and under exposed to leisure, but I can’t help but notice we have almost all subscribed to the cyber leashes of technology. I remember the first time I saw a blackberry it was years ago and my aunt who worked for the Pentagon had one, I remember thinking, “I’ll never get one of those, it just means you can always be answering people” fast forward six years or so and I’m gleefully checking my email while sipping an overpriced latte. So you may ask, “Why are you so concerned with the idea that many have opted for access to information all the time at the fingertips?” The simple answer is if you’re like me, nine times out of ten, you’re not getting things that will improve your life, liberate our people, or are even necessary. You’re just checking email to check it, just visiting that blog to see if somebody in cyberspace responded to your last comment, trying to see if that email giving you more work that will make someone else rich has come across, or you’re just plain bored. That’s right, I said it, Americans are bored and we’ve opted for cyber leashes to compensate.

My brother Brandon has been breaking down the connections between friendships and Black men, but I think it goes well beyond just that group. Let’s be real, how many myspace, friendster, orkut, facebook, dodgeball, etc. associates do you have? Now how many of them do you talk to? It’s much easier to pretend to interact with them via the occasional message and seeing who else they’re talking to then talking to them and finding out what is really going on in their life. Just like it’s easier to wade through spam on my treo than work on my damn dissertation. We as a people have become bored in part because we’re too accessible but also in part because we’re easily distracted. We have enabled this boredom with technology.

For months I’ve been thinking about our obsessions with technology. Thinking what life was like before the cell phone and the internet, and it’s getting really hard to remember! As we step forward into the digital age and get more and more access to the world at our fingertips I only hope we don’t leave behind what “makes the world go round” … people. Next time you grab your hip to check that text message, to look up that movie time, to just look at your phone cause you’re deathly bored, think about doing something that is going to better the condition of the folks around you, just not fatten the pockets of cell phone companies.

Waiting on Friendship

A couple of weeks ago I was listening to the Diane Rehm Show on NPR. Her guest was Joseph Epstein and he was discussing his most recent book, “Friendship: An Expose”. There was one part of the interview that was very interesting. Joseph described the difference between people who initiate the work needed to maintain friendships and those that. Keep reading to find out what description best describes you and other thoughts I have on the often misunderstood notion of friendship.

Joe described “initiators” as people who make a point to keep in touch with their friends. Whether it’s calling, email, or making plans to go out, these people don’t wait for their friends to get in touch with them. That sounds like you right?

Sure it does. But listen to how Joe describes waiters; these people may have many friends but they are often time in a state of anticipating being interrupted by a call or email. Rarely do waiters take the time/energy to interrupt their own lives to contact their friends. I would interpret waiters as people who get really excited when they see emails from other people with subjects like, “Where have you been?” or “Long time, no see.” However, when it comes to heartfelt emails like these, waiters click “open” and not “send.”

More specifically, Joe briefly discussed that many more people describe themselves as lonely and feel like there is no one they can talk to. He went on to point out that research shows that the majority of people who are married, only talk to their spouses about sensitive issues whereas past research shows men and women used to cite neighbors, church members, etc. as other people they confided in addition to their spouses. (I apologize for not citing the research but you can listen to this show by visiting this site.)

I think this sense of loneliness is one of the most underrated issues facing our society. And for people not involved in romantic relationships, I believe this sense of loneliness is compounded. Let me know how you feel about this sentiment.

Though Epstein didn’t touch on this issue directly, I don’t think we can talk about friendship without discussing how technology has enhanced or hindered the modern-day friendship. I think members of my generation generally lack the necessary tools/knowledge to maintain healthy friendships. On one hand, I think that cell phones, email, and social networks do a wonderful job of helping us keep in contact with people that we would otherwise probably never speak. However, the massive amounts of connections we make are frequently maintained by generic discussion points/questions that are easily transferable.

And for the people we call our friends, there is a tendency to use technology as a barrier for allowing people to really probe into our lives. We can see this all the time like when you have bad news or you don’t necessarily want to talk, you send an email. When you don’t want to continue having a probing conversation over the phone, we pretend we have to go or just not answer the phone. And argue?!? Rarely do you see healthy arguments anymore so everywhere you go, there is a permanent sense of fakeness due to the fact that too many of us are not honest enough to ask tough questions or say something as simple as, “I don’t like that you did X because of Y.”

There are numbers on your cell phone that you scroll through everyday knowing good and well you are never going to call them, that is unless, they are calling you. And if and when these people do call, we make fake promises to keep in touch or promise to talk at least once a month. But we don’t follow up.

But do we have to tolerate such high levels of charades? I don’t think so. However, I think all of us have some waiter and initiator qualities. Unfortunately, because the notion of sacrifice is virtually non-existent, it so much easier to blame our lack of friendship building on how busy we are. You are not that busy!

But if you think you are that busy, here are some tips to help maintain healthy friendships.

Call people after 9 and even if they don’t pick up, leave a message. Too many of us call people hoping they don’t answer the phone. So why are you calling them in the first place?

If your friends are local, finding time to see them will not put the biggest wrinkle in your schedule. Think about how much time we watch TV, surf the internet, and other mindless activities. Like I said, you are not that busy. However, I suggest finding a way to weave friends in your life. For example, my friend Dumi had plans to see Tavis Smiley’s Covenant Tour at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit. He dropped me a quick email asking me if I was going. I was thinking about going any, but because of his email, we are able to kill two birds with one stone. Now had he not called me, I probably would have seen him after it was over and we would have said hi and that would be it. But that is just one example of how seeing someone in person doesn’t require such extensive planning.

Use email to supplement conversations, not replace them.

Don’t waste time focusing on mind numbing questions like, “How is the job going?” “It’s cool.” Ask meaningful questions whose responses are not automatic or anticipated. Here’s a good rule for people you don’t talk to all the time, ask and answer a meaningful question. And if the other person can’t think of a question, answer your own.

Find ways to bless your friends. It takes less than you think. I have friends who I know might be fans of a certain team so if I see an article on espn.com, I’ll forward them that article. Or if you know someone who is preparing for something bigger and better (which appears to be most everybody) don’t just ask them how its going, but find out if there is someone you know that can help them or send them resources that will be helpful in their life path.

Pray for your friends. Not just when they ask you to but for as much as family is the default prayer request, try staying in your prayer closet a little while long to make sure that your friends are covered.

Like I said, I think all of us have waiter tendencies, I just hope this post encouraged you to be more of an initiator. I know I am guilty of not being a good friend on many fronts. So just know that I write for myself first. But after all is said and done, I hope this blog and this post will help us build stronger and healthier friendships.

Don’t wait, initiate

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

In defense of Dubai (and Bush)

I waited to write about the Dubai issue until it was clear who was going to back down first. In the end, opportunistic politicians and an irrational public won along with terrorism recruiters. And while Bush lost this battle, he won a tiny bit of my respect.

Everyone is against it

For starters, let me say that just because the proverbial “everyone” seems to be against the port deal, doesn’t make that position any less vulnerable to criticism or ignorance. In fact, when it seems like “everyone” is doing it, the chances of that position being flawed is usually high. In a previous post, I made reference to a poll where the majority of soldiers in Iraq believed they were in Iraq to retaliate against Saddam Hussein for his involvement in 9/11. Now of course, this is not true but this is just one small example of how being in a majority does not make your position right.

Port management not port security

Companies like DP World are not responsible for providing security at the ports. Port security is maintained by the US Coast Guard and Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “For instance, in New Orleans, P&O is one of eight terminal operators responsible for marketing the port, signing agreements with shipping lines, hiring labor, loading ships, and moving cargo …We have our own police force, harbor patrol, customs officers, and Coast Guard,” says Chris Bonura, spokesman for the Port of New Orleans. “That won’t change no matter who is operating the terminal.” So for all the people against this deal, who prefaced their opinion by stating that this is not about “Arab” countries, please know that the US would still be responsible for security no matter which company operated the ports.

But here is a better analogy that explains how ignorant the media and politicians have twisted the truth; “It’s like I go to an apartment building that has 50 apartments, and I rent an apartment. This does not mean I took over the management of the whole building.” And if you are really concerned about national security, take Bush to task for funding “only one-fifth of what the port authorities had identified as needed to properly secure the ports.”

But UAE has helped terrorist networks

So what!!!! I don’t say that to mean that we should be doing business with the likes of Bin Laden, BUT since when did the actions of certain individuals come to reflect the beliefs of that government? And if you are willing to do that, then tell me why we haven’t invaded Saudi Arabia because we know that most of the hijackers of 9/11 were from there? And I understand that “Dubai was the distribution hub of rogue Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan’s nuclear black market. But truer still is the cooperation Dubai’s intelligence officials gave the US in helping unravel Dr. Khan’s network.” After 9/11, people had to change the way they did business with the United States. And maybe, just maybe if people knew how responsive the UAE were to these changes, then people might understand that Arabs, like most people, just want a better life for their families.

But how can we trust the UAE?

Well, if you did your homework, you would know that the UAE was the “first Middle Eastern government to accept the US Container Security Initiative as policy to screen all containers for security hazards before heading to America. In May 2005, Dubai signed an agreement with the US Department of Energy to prevent nuclear materials from passing through its ports. It also installed radiation-detecting equipment – evidence of a commitment to invest in technology. In October 2005, the UAE Central Bank directed banks and financial institutions in the country to tighten their internal systems and controls in their fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.” Now for some people, that might not be enough but if Dubai did all of this work just to get denied due American prejudices, then what more do you want from them? There is a point where being friends hurts more than being enemies. And I blame Bush for painting this global conflict as “you are either with us or against us,” and then get surprised when the public responds to this port deal with the same ignorance.

Sorry Democrats

However, I have been most disappointed with the Democrats who are trying to out-hawk the Republicans on this issue. Now anyone who reads the Superspade, knows that I am very critical of the so-called war on terror and I think we must re-examine Western business and foreign policy that fuels terrorism. And it is not just on religious grounds but I digress. The Democrats are weak on defense issues because they think that if they appear tougher than Republicans, they will gain majorities in the House and Senate. However, a proven martial arts principle informs us that the best way to defeat opponents is to find ways not to fight. Democrats would gain my respect if they showed any hint of understanding that principle.

Why I agree with Bush

Now that the deal is done, I must say I was impressed when Bush said, “I’m concerned about a broader message this issue could send to our friends and allies around the world, particularly in the Middle East.” But my major contention is that Dubai and the UAE played by rules of democracy and capitalism while also showing itself to be an ally in the war on terror. Now my guess is that most wars are fought in part to create better business conditions for those involved. So if Dubai can’t get the hook up in getting some extra business deals for helping the US, then benefits are there for helping the US? Not to mention that by most accounts, UAE is considered a moderate Arab country. Given that, what incentive do we give other moderate countries to help the US when in the end, you probably won’t be able to get the financial hook up or any boost in nuclear arsenals.

“It is hypocritical for America to want democracy in the Middle East, to champion capitalism as the best economic framework while pushing for reform, transparency, and anticorruption practices in its businesses, and then turn protectionist when a Dubai-owned company turns up on our shores having played the capitalist takeover game responsibly and transparently.”

Nothing is free in this world and the UAE scratched the US back by helping in the war on terror so now it is time for the US to scratch the UAE’s back. Unfortunately, DP World and UAE now probably feel like they have been stabbed in the back. And if you were the leader of a moderate Arab country, would you feel comfortable doing business with the US? Of course not!!!! And of course if the UAE becomes a hub for terrorists, critics will say this had nothing to do with the ports deal. But the main point is that the biggest recruiting hub for terrorists can be found in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I’m sure that the US is going to be fighting this so-called war on terror long after Bush is gone from office, but we have to understand that we are living in a world that requires strategies more akin to chess than checkers.

Stay up fam,

Brandon

Supporting and listening to the troops

This phrase, while noble, has been misconstrued as a reason to support the war. Let it be said that one can support the troops while not supporting the war. With that said, for all the people who conflate supporting the troops with supporting the war, I point your attention to a recent poll that showed nearly three quarters (72%) of American troops in Iraq think the United States should leave the country within a year. Isn’t it funny how people argue about the war but don’t take the time to ask the troops how they feel?

Now before you think that this poll was done be some crazy left-wing organization, think again. The poll was conducted by Zogby International and Le Moyne College in Syracuse in NY. And for the record, Zogby has one of the best reputations in the field of opinion polling and is used ad nauseam to predict Presidential elections in the United States. Their reputation aside, the poll interviewed 944 soldiers face-to-face. And while that may seem like a small proportion of the total number of troops there, do know that a vast majority of the polls used study American opinion, poll about 1,000 individuals across the country to make claims on how millions of Americans feel with a high degree of statistical accuracy.

Now if the troops don’t want to be in Iraq for more than a year longer and we know that at the rate we’re going, leaving within a year is a joke, just how are we supporting the troops? And if the troops on the front line don’t want to be there, then does it really matter what the public thinks? I think not. But the larger implication of this poll strongly suggests that having the most up to date technology is not enough to win wars. This is because if the collective will and belief that you are doing something positive is not sustainable, then victory will be extremely difficult to attain. This says nothing of the fact that the Bush administration changes what constitutes victory like they change clothes.

Moreover, the poll that was conducted reflects the notion that the troops, as a whole, do not see the connection between what they are doing and the greater good. “The poll showed that 93 percent of respondents believe that removing weapons of mass destruction was not the reason why the United States was in Iraq; while 85 percent said the U.S. mission was ‘mainly to retaliate for Saddam’s role in the 9/11 attacks’ — a role that has never been established.” Now let’s start with the idea that WMD was the overarching reason for us invading Iraq (remember Colin Powell’s address to the United Nations?) and that has since proven to be an outright lie. But Saddam’s supposed connection to 9/11 was the most provocative reason that I think many people supported the war.

And I am still trying to figure out how we went from attacking Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan to fighting Saddam in Iraq and unfortunately, I think many of the troops are still scratching their heads. But a recent article by Paul Krugman of the New York Times perhaps said it best; “The administration successfully linked Iraq and 9/11 in public perceptions through a campaign of constant insinuation and occasional outright lies. In the process, it also created a state of mind in which all Arabs were lumped together in the camp of evildoers. Osama, Saddam – what’s the difference?”

But a quote from Donald Rumsfeld will go down as the biggest symbol of where American policy changed the world for the worse when he told military commanders on 9/11, “’Judge whether good enough hit S. H. [Saddam Hussein] @ same time – not only UBL [Osama bin Laden],’ read an aide’s handwritten notes about his instructions.” Now I would like to believe that soldiers need to hold on to a singular idea as motivation for fighting a war. Now if 93% of the troops understand the truth about WMD and 85% understand the truth about Saddam’s connection to WMD, what in the world are we doing in Iraq? And this is how we support the troops?

Stay up fam and my prayers go out to American troops and the innocent Afghans and Iraqis that are caught up in this mess.

Brandon

Nigga clothing?

I am not sure if you heard yet, but for 14 months now, Damon Wayans has been trying “to trademark the term Nigga for a clothing line and retail store, a search of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s online database reveals.” I guess in my short 23 years, I have almost heard it all.

This is the most outlandish idea I have heard in a while. I actually wanted to write on the war today but whoever sent me this email made me detour. Now I won’t front like I don’t use nigga but could he not have thought of anything more creative? For all the comedic genius that the Wayans are famous for, this is not funny. In fact, I feel tricked, I feel hoodwinked, I feel bamboozled!!! (In case you forgot, Damon Wayans played the leading role in Spike Lee’s, Bamboozled)

But this is not the movies and even if this is an attempt on Damon’s part to spark a national discussion on race while getting paid, he is sorely mistaken. Aside from the myriad of problems that will be raised from White people rocking these clothes, is it really good for uplifting the Black Community? I remember growing up wearing Karl Kani and Cross Colours and these clothing lines were designed by Black folk and it caused a sense of pride. I feel the same today about Sean John and RocaWear. I say all that to say I wouldn’t mind wearing “Wayans Wear” if his stuff was on point. But why nigga?

And I realize my contradiction in using nigga in private amongst my people but being against the idea of this clothing line. But what do you think? Is it hypocritical for Black folk to use nigga amongst Black people but to be against Damon Wayan’s idea? And how is it different from rappers using the word nigga in their lyrics? Could Damon be on to something that will ultimately help Black folk?

Looking forward to your comments.

Stay up fam,
Brandon

Finding Our Roots in Africa, Part 2

Brandon’s post on Finding Our Roots in Africa posed a series of questions. To help the dialogue along, I would like to post here my answers to his 7 questions. Please do the same in the comments section of either post.

1) If you could, would you like to able to learn about your ancestry going back to and before slavery? And if so, what do you think are the possible benefits or drawbacks?
Benefits
Anything that a person can learn about where and whence they came is a great thing. It definitely instills a sense of self-worth and pride knowing what people who bled the same blood as you have experienced. This gives you the opportunity to connect with them spiritually as well as intellectually, and engage both living and dead ancestors in ways that will enlighten you as to what you are made of, literally. There is also the benefit of being able to give a definitive answer about where you come from. Immigrants can do this. Refugees can do this. We, the descendants of slaves, cannot readily answer this question. I for one am envious of those that can point to the specific section of India that there family is from and has been for the past 300 years. I think that is absolutely awesome. I want to be able to do that as well.
Drawbacks
I am concerned that folks at racist organizations such as the Pioneer Fund, has a long history of subsidizing efforts to prove blacks are genetically inferior to whites, will take this DNA mapping of Black people to certain places and equate it to Black inferiority. Those who agreed and still agree with Thomas Jefferson that Black people are physically inferior to white people or with David Hume who believed that Black people were “naturally inferior” to white people will likely want to twist this to support their claims. Think about this in the same way that conservatives spun Bill Cosby’s crusade to fit their own messages. I don’t want that, and I don’t think too many other people do either. I think that the same can be said of those who believe in eugenics as legitimate science, and YES, there are people alive who believe in such nonsense. I also think that I may have mixed feelings if I were to find out that I was not “wholly” Black. That might complicate my world view a bit. I did not see the special, so I would like to further understand the science behind this research. The engineer in me can’t help but be a little bit skeptical. Finally, being a complete skeptic, I’d be worried about this stuff ending up in some US government database.

I don’t want to give those I disagree with any ammunition. However, none of these drawbacks are worth the price of ignorance.

2) Is it important for you to have a working knowledge of current events in Africa or its history? And if so, what books/articles/internet sources have been particularly useful?
This is absolutely important, as such knowledge helps one to gain perspective on who they are. Knowledge of history and knowledge of current events contribute to knowledge of self in the same way that knowledge of your family history and knowledge of your personal thoughts, emotions, and preferences are part of knowledge of self. They all lead you down the path to answering that all important question: who are you?

3) Have you ever heard family members or friends say disparaging comments about African people? How did you respond?
Absolutely, and it is truly sad. I am ignorant to my concrete ties to my ancestry in any part of the African continent, but I do know that they are people like me. “Civilization” is a subjective term. People today equate non-Westernized lifestyles to barbarism the same way they did hundreds of years ago. The difference is that hundreds of years ago, we had a lot fewer black people peddling those messages.

4) Do you view Africans with the same kinship that you show towards Blacks in America?
I almost do, and I know many people do not. That is terribly sad because I am fighting through the lie that says that they area not me and I am not them. That is the same lie that labels me as an “African-American” and not Black. What does that really mean? Can you point to “Africa-America” on a map? I can’t. It’s all B.S. See my answer to question #6 for more on this lack of kinship.

5) How far can you trace your lineage?
My family has actually traced its history back to being brought to the West Indies. I would be interested in tracing it further. We did this back in 1990 when technology was not accessible, so I can only imagine what we may find out if we combined today’s methods with the information we already have.

6) Do you think there could ever be true unity/appreciation between Blacks in America and Africa?
There could be, since peace is a possibility between all groups of peoples, especially those with some sort of inherent connection. Ignorance about one another is the main barrier, as we tend to look at “Africans” through our “american” eyes as opposed to looking at them for who they are: us. “Divide and conquer” is the most effective way to destroy anything, and it has been successful in murdering our identities, our self-esteems, and our dreams for tomorrow. The fact that this question is even posed is a sign that we need to tear down these negative perceptions we have about one another and build tangible, positive relationships.

7) If you could trace your family tree back to slavery, what questions would you like the answers to the most?
The question I would be most interested in knowing is if I had blood relatives walking some part of this planet that I have never dreamed of. I would like to know if things about my person (e.g. my size/shape, my affinity for technology, etc.) were things common in people from the place where my family originated. That would be fascinating.

These are all important and thought-provoking questions. It is therapeutic simply answering these. Think how much more healing could be realized after finding out who we really are.

Finding our roots in Africa

Yesterday I finished watching the second half of the PBS special, African American Lives, hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. I highly recommend you find a way to see this series either by catching a re-run or actually buying the series. In the special, Gates utilized DNA analysis and history to pinpoint which countries in Africa (or outside of Africa) with a high degree of statistical reliablity. I was simply amazed at the prospects this new technology may hold for Black folks all over the Diaspora.

Growing up, I always had a longing to know which country in Africa I was from but after awhile I gave up that dream and instead chose to keep abreast of African culture and history. I have taken classes on Africa, done extensive research on my own, and regularly keep up with current events across the continent. But it wasn’t enough. I felt like I was looking for a specific needle in a pile of needles.

And it wasn’t until the PBS special that my childhood desire ignited in a fury of questions and imagination. I might be able to find out which country I was from. Just writing the aforementioned sentence sends tingles down my back. And as I reflected on the possibilities of telling my children stories of their ancestors during and before slavery, I was reminded of how disconnected Africans and Black people in America are. But if we could learn to respect and honor each other like the brothers and sisters we are, then the problems we face might not seem so daunting.

So I have a series of questions I would like to throw out there just to get a sense of the effects of a widespread program to help Black people in America trace their ancestry.

1) If you could, would you like to able to learn about your ancestry going back to and before slavery? And if so, what do you think are the possible benefits or drawbacks?

2) Is it important for you to have a working knowledge of current events in Africa or its history? And if so, what books/articles/internet sources have been particularly useful?

3) Have you ever heard family members or friends say disparaging comments about African people? How did you respond?

4) Do you view Africans with the same kinship that you show towards Blacks in America?

5) How far can you trace your lineage?

6) Do you think there could ever be true unity/appreciation between Blacks in America and Africa?

7) If you could trace your family tree back to slavery, what questions would you like the answers to the most? Please be forthcoming with your comments about this topic.

Stay up fam, Brandon.

Balancing life and work

As the baby boomers retire, some companies are starting to realize that their employees happiness is more important than their salary.
I read a great article today on CNN that asked what Generation X are seeking out of their employment. At 23, I am considered Generation Y, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the views of Generation X and Y were not too far off. For instance, the researchers (Charlotte and Laura Shelton) found that “77% of Gen Xers say they’d quit in a minute if offered increased intellectual stimulation.” I can certainly attest to this desire as I am sure you know of people who feel the same. So what this means for employers is that they have to pay closer attention to their job requirements and finding ways to exploit the intellectual skills of their work force. This is not to say that baby boomers are not intellectual but information technology to the point that younger people can not successfully navigate social scenes without having at least a surface knowledge of current events.

And because many jobs now require people skills and the ability to work effectively in a team atmosphere, the researchers found that “the top three things people want in a job is positive relationships with colleagues, interesting work, and continuous opportunities for learning.” So where in the past where baby boomers maybe did not like their boss, the up and coming generation is more attune to the mood of a company and if it does not align with their temperament, they are much more likely to seek employment elsewhere.

Moreover, employers must rid themselves of the Adam Smith philosophy that you keep the same person doing the same thing until they retire or leave the company. This means that employers should provide on- going training for multiple skill sets. And if you are in a situation where you are doing the same thing every day, you should go out of your way to find ways to get more advanced training. Not only will this help you status at your current job, it will help spice up your resume’ so that you are more marketable if and when you leave for a better situation.

But one thing that Generation X is not addicted to is status. Power are prestige ranked last out of fifteen items that the respondents ranked in order of importance. At my job, I was surprised at how much a deal people made out of having an office instead of a cubicle. For decades, having an office (especially a corner office) is the most outward display of hierarchy and power. But I made a note to myself that when I open my own firm, entry level employees will start in the office and the cubicle will be reserved for management. This will be my attempt to redefine the way people think about moving up the corporate ladder so to speak. The article went on to talk about how the idea of the corporate ladder itself is changing at some companies in favor of a more egalitarian corporate structure. For example “TD industries has a policy that its highest paid employee can earn no more than 10 ten times the salary of its lowest-paid employee. ” This way, as the company grows, it is not only upper management that sees increased pay. And more importantly, every employee has an increased incentive to work together because everyone knows that what is good for the company is good for everybody.

The researchers also found that younger people want their employer to support them having a life outside of work. One thing I struggled with my job search is going corporate or non-profit. I ended up going corporate and I am trying very hard to get back to doing community service. Which is why I wished I was an software engineer at Autodesk “because it gives its employees paid time every month to do volunteer work.” Policies like this help bring balance to people’s lives and invariably make them more productive. And Autodesk is really innovative because there is no set work hours. “There’s no abseenteism policy, and no one keeps track of sick days. The philosophy is, these are all capable people, so let’s assume they can behave like adults.” And not surprisingly, “employees respond to that with an unusually hihg level of commitment.” I bet they do!!! I often joke with my working friends that I never thought how valuable I would view my sick/vacation time. And I hate feeling like my job is slowly rationing out my time. I know for a fact that I would be more productive if there were no set work hours. Just think about how you made it through college. When you had to work, it didn’t matter what time it was, you got the job done.

And for any employers who are afraid of giving their employees too many benefits for the sake of profits, ALL of the companies listed in the article are highly profitable and turnover is minimal at best. The workforce is rapidly changing and employers need to understand that investing in balanced lifestyles for their employees is just as, if not more important than boosting salaries. Therefore, if you are working and know that you would benefit from the points made in this post, float some of these ideas by your colleagues. I know I will. And even if your firm laughs in your face, just know that there are some companies that are genuinely concerned about the well-being happiness of their employees.

Stay up fam, Brandon .

Iran’s nuclear program

Understanding Iran’s position: nuclear technology meets national defense.

If you have been reading any news lately, then I am sure you aware of the uproar that the “international community” has expressed over Iran breaking the UN seals at three of its nuclear facilities.

Remember when President Bush’s named Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as the “axis of evil” in 2002? If so, then you can get an idea of how long the media and government officials have trained the public en masse to not distinguish between Iran, illegal nuclear weapons, and evil. “It was harmful both conceptually and operationally,” said Graham Allison, government professor and former dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. “Conceptually, the ‘axis’ suggested a relationship among the entities that doesn’t exist. More important, operationally, the reaction of the world and the North Korea debacle demonstrates that it was a mistake.”

What I don’t get with respect to the axis of evil is that by naming the countries you intend to shake down, you invariably add more fuel to the fire. Ergo, if Iran was only thinking about developing nuclear weapons, then wouldn’t they fiercely want nuclear weapons now? The main thing I don’t understand is this; why does the so-called war on terror assume that named countries won’t take decisive actions to defend themselves against attack? That is why I am so dismayed at current US foreign policy towards Iran. I am going to lay out a series of facts that lay out how Iran might be justified in their saber rattling towards the West.

1) As the war Afghanistan and Iraq progresses, a quick look at a map will show you that Iran is strategically trapped between US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

2) You have been named as part of the axis of evil.

3) Israel and the US have developed or are developing plans for a preemptive attack.

4) The current conflict is further exacerbated because “the same technology needed to produce low-enriched uranium for nuclear power plants can also produce highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons, the West believes that Iran intends to use this capability to stockpile weapons-usable nuclear materials.” So what we have is the West trying to have it both ways because while the West can allow states to develop peaceful technology and sometimes nuclear weapons, (like Pakistan) it can simultaneously claim that the state in question is seeking nuclear weaponry. This is also known as a catch-22.

I am not defending Iran, I am just pointing out that when you back someone into the corner, they will sometimes do almost anything to get out of that corner. And let’s face it, Iran has the upper hand because “the United States is quickly acquiring the ‘Vietnam Syndrome’ - the decision never to venture abroad again, after being so stung by the disaster which has become the occupation of Iraq. It has no stomach for a new battle: and Tehran knows it.”

And if you have been following the news, you know that Russia opposes economic sanctions against Iran and you know China is thirsty for oil like a fat kid loves cake. Both Russia and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council and the same way the US goes out of its way to veto sanctions/resolutions that go against Israel, Russia and China are prepared to do the same for Iran.

And I don’t even have to explain how much gas would sky rocket, because if you don’t know, Iran is the second largest exporter in the world.

The bottom-line is that the threat of war is the best guarantor of peace and while I wish we lived in a world where there were no nuclear weapons at all. But the doctrine of mutually assured destruction seems to be holding up pretty well. Moreover, if one were to observe the way the US dealt with Iraq and North Korea, then it is reasonable to assume that the possession of nuclear weaponry demands respect from the international community. Iraq was invaded and North Korea is not a signatory to the NPT and is essentially being offered carrots to peacefully contain its nuclear program.

I know the US is isolated by two oceans but we don’t live in a vacuum. Countries, like people respond to threats. And while the US may be the most powerful country in the world, the world is getting flat and traditional forms of power just won’t cut it. Because as we see in this Iran conflict, when you have different rules for different countries, soon enough, the countries that have traditionally been locked out will find ways to get in. We need a foreign policy that makes wanting nuclear weaponry unattractive because until we do that, the axis of evil will take on a life of its own.

Look for more analysis of the Iran conflict in the future.

Stay up fam,

Brandon
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Thinking Big and Thinking Together in Detroit

I just finished listening to Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s (D) inaugural Address. I am excited for the Mayor’s second term, as it presents unique opportunities to unite not only those within the city of Detroit, but those throughout the region of Southeastern Michigan.

I have stated here what I think will be important things for the Mayor to focus on during the early months of his second term. I was happy to hear that the Mayor and his people agree with me. I was also pleased with the Mayor’s focus on regional partnerships. Some would argue that the Mayor used “divisive” tactics to secure his re-election, and that is up for debate. The bottom line, however, is that Detroit cannot survive without its surrounding communities, and the suburbs definitely cannot survive without Detroit.

In order to accomplish this goal, which the Mayor states has been problematic for the last 80+ years, an open-minded approach to communication and partnership must be adopted. That means that white folks are going to have to sit at the table with black folks, and that black folks are going to have to sit at the table with white folks, and that every other shade of folk needs to be welcomed and sit at the table as well. Our region is faced with damaged race relations and a damaged industrial foundation. That is a nasty combination, but it is a situation that can be confronted and overcome in the same way as anything else: a listening ear, an open & unselfish mind, and a focused set of concrete goals benefiting the whole.

That begs the question then, what are some of those “concrete goals benefiting the whole?” Let’s talk about three: fiscal responsibility, regional transit, knowledge transfer & entreprenuer encouragement.

1. Fiscal Responsibility
This is a big one, and a relatively obvious one. The city of Detroit, like most municipalities, has financial issues requiring immediate attention. Challenger Freeman Hendrix based most of his campaign against the incumbent Mayor on Detroit’s financial status. Things need to be done, and I feel the Mayor has a good grasp on what needs to happen, a large example taking a look at the size of city government, both in terms of number of personnel and budget. These are very difficult decisions that must be made, but this is an unfortunate reality. The Mayor will need help from local businesses, unions, and everyone else who has a stake in these negotiations concerning the future of the city. We have to act on both faith and reason in cases like these: faith in the future of the region and the people of the region, and reason that leads us to practical solutions that everyone benefits from.

2. Regional Transit
The Big 3 (technically, 2.49) have scoffed at this notion for the past century, understandably so. I would like to think that those alive today have foresight that is different than those who lived at the turn of the previous century. Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT a concession to or admission of the “failure of the domestic automotive industry.” In fact, this can be seen as an opportunity for the domestic auto industry, upon which the economy of entire Midwestern United States is based upon, to diversify their admittedly stagnant portfolios and embrace a new technology that has great potential to revitalize the region. Let’s use an example to illustrate. Detroit suffers from one of the worse cases of temporary/permanent “brain drain” in the country. This is mostly due to individuals with college educations seeing the auto industry is not one where they will be able to realize their full professional and creative potential. That perception exists because the car business is old, and there is no denying that. Well, how about we grow the car biz to include next-generation mass transit. This is bigger than buses and monorails and subways. I’m talking mag-lev trains. I’m talking low altitude air travel. Think big. Think outside the box. Why not? Projects such as these have enormous potential for the freshly matriculated engineering student, design student, architect, marketing or finance major, and skilled tradesman/woman. That is something that both the city and the suburbs can benefit from on the front and the backend. The front end is giving the educated something to dream of working on, and the backend is being able to hop and skip to and fro the city and throughout the tri-county area, all while supporting local industry! This can open up all types of opportunities for local entrepreneurs while solidifying the growth of existing institutions. Feel free to stop me when I stop making sense.

3. Knowledge Transfer & Entrepreneur Encouragement
This is something I think that also has suffered due to our dependence on the automotive industry. For decades, most businesses started in our area had maybe one degree of separation car business. In the 90s, I noticed that beginning to change. Such change must be sustained and embraced going forward. Again, I stress that embracing new ideas is not equivalent to giving up on old ones. Multi-dimensionality is key to the evolutionary success of the region, and is not an option if we wish to survive. This can be done by continuing to build knowledge bridges between the city and its surrounding communities. These bridges will span race, class, gender, and everything else we can think of that has in the past divided us. The divided are conquerable. What is ironic is that the divided often defeat themselves. Instead, this diverse new set of entrepreneurs must continue to be encouraged by tax incentives and other means to keep their faith and their talents in Detroit.

Think Big. Think Together. The statement simple. What is simple is usually profound.

Hypercrites turned Hypocrites?

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has been accused of not dispensing the monies they collected for Hurricane Katrina Releif in a timely fashion. The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation is the 501(c)3 created by the Congressional Black Caucus. Though they are technically not the same entity, they essentially act as such. This leads to some very interesting questions.

I am a supporter of the existence of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). The Dean of the CBC is Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) of Detroit, who is a family friend, and who I support in general. I also support this group exercising its ability to create a nonprofit financial arm to handle funds (they can do so because the CBC is non-partisan).

The CBC Foundation has vehemently denied the claims that they are not dispensing the money they took in as donations. On Dec. 9, according to their website, they gave away $299,000 of the dollars. The story above, however, quotes CBC Foundation spokeswoman Patti Rice saying that no money would be given away until December or January 2006.

There are two problems here, well three. The first is that the CBC Foundation needs to get its story straight. An organization so closely scrutinized by so many needs to have a better grasp on their communications. The second is, what where they waiting on/for? Were they simply being responsible, or were the funds not earmarked for relief? We’ll address that later. Finally, why am I just now seeing/hearing about this?

Problem number 1 has an obvious solution (get rid of the person who said they gave money or said they sat on it, whichever lied), so no more is needed on that one.

Problem number 2 is an interesting debate that many went through in the days after Katrina. I’ll use myself as an example. I wanted to give time/technology/money/something to help hurricane survivors as soon as I saw what was happening. It has been shown that irresponsible to have donated the lion’s share of that money the Red Cross, since people may or may not have gotten it. Is the same true for money given to the CBC Foundation?!?!?!?! Ultimately myself, along with other brother from HEADS at the University of Michigan decided to give our money to the BlackAmericaWeb.com Family Fund, and were happy with them. Coming back to the CBC Foundation, we have to wonder what took them so long. After all, I would hope that they had more information than me on different organizations available, what they do, how they do it, etc. than I do, since that’s part of their job. So their research to identify quality organizations to contribute to should be much shorter than mine. Why then, did they take so long? Since people gave them money, they became another layer in the endless bureaucracy that they were so angry about in September!!!! I like unecessary process just as little as the next independent thinker, but oh the irony when my disdain for one process leads me to act in a way that produces the same results.

The third issue may be the most suprising, depending on your perspective. If you watch Fox News, you will know that they tell you that they are a beacon of fair and balanced life in the liberal wasteland that is the American media. Stories like this may contribute to their case, since this story has gotten little/no coverage. Check the date, the story is from 22 December, 3 days before Christmas, over 2 weeks ago. Did the liberal media cover this up so not to slow down any anti-Bush momentum it had built up as a result of the hurricane response [or lack therof]? These sorts of questions have to be asked, because propaganda does work both ways. It’s like cronyism: you’re only pissed off about it when you’re not a crony or the one appointing the cronies, but that’s another post on another day. Even more interesting, why didn’t some of our Black watchdog organizations catch this? Where was the CBC Monitor, whose sole existence is to make sure the CBC is on its job. It always amazes me who sees things and who doesn’t. Never be fooled into beieving (or not believing) something strictly off of the messenger alone.

History of Human Societies

Have you ever wondered how writing was invented or how why Africans didn’t sail north to enslave Europeans, check out this book review of Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond.

Right now I am reading the Pulitzer prize winning book, Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. It is about the trajectories of human societies and how they were influenced by guns, germs, and steel. This book sets out to answer one question asked by a Black New Guinean; “Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?” Diamond takes a whirlwind tour of the world touching on every continent and every major ancient society. He is unapologetic and does not use this book to justify the oppression that has marked our world for thousands of years.

I am just over halfway done, but the first half of the book discusses food production and experimentation with crops while also dealing with animal domestication. I admit it took me a while to get through reading about plants but on a basic level, Diamond explains that it was excess food production that allowed societies to establish social hierarchies, raise armies, invent new technologies, and grow empires.

Right now I am reading about the origin and history of writing and how that influenced societies. I have often thought about why the world the way it is by incorporating food production, armies, technology, politics, religion, environment, etc and this book does an excellent job of doing just this. It is a dense read and while I found it difficult to read about plants and animals, I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a student of history and wishes to understand the evolution of human society.

I would love to get a feel for what other people are reading so if you want to let us know what you are reading, please send an e-mail to TheSuperSpade@gmail.com

Stay up fam,

Brandon

Made in China

Today I was reading an article in the Washington Post about how China has surpassed the United States as the world’s top exporter of laptop computers, mobile phones and other information and communications technology devices in 2004, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said on Monday. It was interesting to see how the scant amount of commentary about this topic, especially given the harsh climate of the American job market. Already, Bill Ford and other leading US firms are wrapping themselves with the US flag and making the plea that the best way to support America (and by extension, the troops) is to buy American. What’s so ironic however, is that

One major factor promoting China’s rapid growth is its fixed currency (the yuan), which allows China to keep its currency relatively lower than the US, thereby making China’s goods cheaper than the US. The other advantage that China has is America’s gluttony. Just how do you think Bush was able to pass tax cuts year after year while we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan? The Bush administration has tax cuts as its centerpiece of picking up the economy but as we run up more and more debt, guess who is buying up this debt? You guessed it, China. So if China suddenly decided that they didn’t want to buy American debt for some set of geo-political reasons, the interest rates in America would go through the roof. And my political folks will know what I mean when I say, “It’s the economy stupid.” And besides the fact that China has more than one-fifth of the world’s population, I should point out that China is a communist country? Don’t you think it’s funny how the wealthy communist countries are never referred to as communist but poorer countries are? But I guarantee you that if China and the US were having serious disagreements that might lead to war, the communist refrain would be deafening.

But I digress. The main point of today’s blog is to highlight that if we are living in a knowledge based economy that is fueled by technology, then the Chinese leading the world in information/computer technology is a sign that the US has been comfortable for too long and when we can’t beat a country on purely economic terms, the military might will be soon to follow. I believe Samuel Huntington wrote a book talking about the clash of civilizations. I am not suggesting that the Chinese and the US are posturing themselves for war but Thomas Friedman talked about how we are living in a flat society, which means that advances in technology have made the world a more level playing field. So whatever country takes the lead in technology (patents, faster computer chips, etc.) will have a comparative advantage that will make international relations a bit more nuanced than times of old. America’s economy is stuffed like you were after Thanksgiving, but unless get on Kanye’s workout plan, we will see the Chinese use their new found wealth to invest in their military and create a middle class that will want the excesses of American culture. In the long term, different countries will take sides and we will witness a clash none like the world has ever seen.

Stay up fam,

How Information Economics Divides us Digitally

Since when is providing a common good a bad thing? I think good goes bad when good is free/low-cost/easily accessible.

A story in the Washington Post (linked here from the Talking Points Memo blog) talks about how BellSouth got a change of heart soon after they heard that New Orleans was thinking of free, municipal wireless internet access. They were going to donate one of their buildings to the city, but now they will charge for it instead. Well, after all, if people aren’t paying for internet access, then they have oodles of money laying around to male building lease payments to BellSouth in the for of increased taxes. Not to mention that taxes will be even more astronomical given that the N.O. Tax base is below that of the population at the summit of Mt. Everest. Quite empathetic indeed.

All that good, I mean bad stuff aside, let’s think of another reason that a large corporation would not want a bunch of poor folk to have free internet access. If they saw that they could receive BETTER service for FREE, they may NEVER come back! They definitely cannot have that, seeing as how they make the bulk of their revenue is by fleecing poor people at high volumes. Let’s also do what we can to thwart this effort because internet access = information access = people who are no longer ignorant. And it is hard to make money off of informed people.

I describe this in the above terms to call out the digital divide from a slightly different angle. Information economics tells us that there is value in information asymmetry. The idea is that if parties are on the same footing information-wise, they are less able or likely to take advantage of each other. The digital divide is an interesting example of this theory at work because it deals with the value of information both intrinsically and extrinsically. Withholding the intrinsic value that comes with knowledge and access to knowledge from people allows entities like BellSouth and others to extract extrinsic (in this case, monetary) value.

How is this combated? The only way to defeat those who wish to have you maintain your ignorance is to elevate yourself out of that ignorance. I pray that officials in New Orleans press on despite corporate intimidation tactics, and take this small step towards bring poor people to the right side of the digital divide.

–
Garlin Gilchrist II
http://www.thesuperspade.com

Sent via Wireless Handheld

Digitally Divided @ Home & Abroad

I read in the BBC today about Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade urging the 1st world to contribute more substantially to building information technology infrastructures in the 3rd world. He makes a solid and legitimate argument about why it is good for all involved for the entire world to be on a more level footing with regard to tehcnology access. To the individual in DR Congo without internet access, the benefit is another path by which to garner information about any and all things. To the entrepreneur, wider internet access has the benefit of widening the potential customer base for your products. It is indeed a win-win.

Many 1st world countries, however, have third worlds within their own boundaries. This was evidenced in America recently by the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005, which I will not even begin to discuss here. We have 3rd worlds on multiple layers: poverty and economic disenfranchisement, hunger and lack of affordable human services, as well as technological ignorance. It is perhaps unjust to place technological concerns within the same thought as basic human needs. However, as society evolves and technology becomes a ubiquitous piece of 1st and 3rd world life, insufficient technical know-how could lead to discrimination in the other aforementioned arenas. We are already beginning to see signs of this creeping into view. Individuals with little/no computer experience are being overlooked for jobs all over the country. Children with little/no computer training are facing challenges as educations evolves digitally. In the “meritocracy” that is our world (well, I will actually describe how/why that is NOT true later, but I digress for now), these skills will become basic necessities for survival.

It is up to current generations to lay groundwork for future ones. The world must stand with President Wade at the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and unite towards making the Digital Divide extinct. In the mean time, I will continue my own work with the current, younger and older generations, helping them to understand ways in which technology can help them. No complaints without action.

Activist Nerds

Conservative pundits have over the last couple of years adopted a catch phrase to define legal decision-makers that they disagree with: “activist judges.” Perhaps in another post, I will break down exactly how idiotic the notion of an “activist judge” is.

But I like the concept of prepending your favority noun with the word “activist,” and therefore changing its meaning to fit the context you select for it. We can do this for all kinds of things: “Activist preachers,” “Activist infants,” “Activist insects,” the list goes on.

I’d like to use one that may be more near and dear to my heart, and perhaps a bit more useful: the “Activist Nerd.” Is this simply a rebranding of the technocrat? It could be, but it’s much more broad than that. As society becomes more dependent on information technology, policy makers will be faced with more and more technology-related legislative decisions. Examples include the respective “innovation agenda” proposals by Democrats and Republicans.

Technology decisions, like any other policy decision, is best made by those with [at least basic] experience with technology. The average baby-boomer politician lacks this experience, and that leads to very irresponsible technology legislation. An examples include HR 4194, which include directives that may limit the free expression of bloggers.

The next generation of political leaders will not have this problem to the same extent, but it will still exist. Why? Because we tell people who are technically apt (either by trade/training or naturally) to worry about their fields and not about politics or social issues. Similarly, when someone is eloquent and expressive, we tell them let the “nerds” worry about that “other stuff.” What I see is a merge of these two “types” of people on the horizon. That is a great thing, and it will produce a diverse set of capable leaders that can make informed decisions on a wider array of issues. My hope for these leaders it that their technical expertise will enable them to make more objective decisions since they are more used to parsing massive amounts of both technical and non-technical data effectively.

For those who want to be more nerd than activist, there are solutions. A great example is Riot Tones, a service starting next month that will allow you to create/download/share politically motivated ring tones for your phone. Great idea. Fun idea. Nerdy idea. For those who want to be more activist than nerd, start a blog. That’s what I did.